Wodonga and North East Victoria recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Wodonga and across North East Victoria, from Wangaratta and Benalla to Beechworth and Bright, hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Wodonga and the North East at a glance
- of the twin cities' people live on the Victorian side, in Wodonga
- 43%
- 44,717 of 104,255 people in Wodonga and Albury combined, 30 June 2025.1
- of the region's online job ads were for medical practitioners and nurses
- 14%
- 130 of 937 a month, Hume region, three-month average to September 2026.2
- of recruiting Goulburn/Murray employers had difficulty filling a role
- 41%
- Year to August 2026; the employment region includes Wodonga, Benalla and Albury.3
- unemployment rate, City of Wodonga
- 4.3%
- June quarter 2026; 5.8% in Albury and 3.7% in Wangaratta.4
Who are the biggest employers in Wodonga and the North East?
Albury Wodonga Health is the largest employer in the region, with more than 3,190 staff, 21 clinical locations including two hospital campuses, and a catchment of about 300,000 people.5
Defence is the other distinctive employer. The Albury Wodonga Military Area has three barracks and is home to the Army Logistics Training Centre and Joint Logistics Unit – Victoria.6 Health care is also the largest industry across the combined Hume and Shepparton statistical regions, with 26,400 workers in the year to February 2026; that estimate excludes Albury.7
Which jobs are most advertised in Wodonga and the North East?
The Hume statistical region, which covers Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla and the alpine shires as well as the Upper Goulburn Valley, averaged 937 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026.2 Nursing and medical roles led by a wide margin.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Hume statistical region (SA4), three-month average to September 2026. Albury's ads are counted in New South Wales.2
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 130 |
| Carers and aides | 83 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 62 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 61 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 49 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 39 |
Which towns does the North East region cover?
The North East is a string of towns rather than one city. Unemployment is low in the alpine and Indigo shires and higher in Benalla and the twin cities.
Estimated resident population at 30 June 20251 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 20264, by council area.
| Council area (main towns) | Population | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| Wodonga | 44,717 | 4.3% |
| Wangaratta | 30,089 | 3.7% |
| Benalla | 14,581 | 4.6% |
| Indigo (Beechworth, Rutherglen, Yackandandah) | 17,758 | 2.5% |
| Alpine (Bright, Myrtleford, Mount Beauty) | 13,236 | 2.1% |
| Towong (Tallangatta, Corryong) | 6,158 | 2.7% |
| Albury, New South Wales (twin city) | 59,538 | 5.8% |
How hard is it to hire in Wodonga?
Wodonga sits in the Goulburn/Murray employment region, where 228 employers answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026. Half were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 41% of those had difficulty filling a role.3
Their main reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, the regional location, missing technical skills and too few applicants.3 Because candidates can live on either side of the border, we search Albury as well as the Victorian towns.
Which roles do we recruit in Wodonga and the North East?
Open each role type for local demand, the 2026 national shortage rating, pay, training and what to put in your brief. We treat an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health administrators and managers, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Demand
- The Hume region averaged 130 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 83 for carers and aides and 37 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three months to September 2026.2
- Local employer
- Albury Wodonga Health has more than 3,190 staff and serves about 300,000 people.5
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; enrolled nurses and hospital pharmacists are short in regional areas.8
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the campus or service, the roster and the supervision on offer.
Logistics, transport and Defence support
Logistics coordinators, mechanics, storepersons, drivers and technical staff for freight, warehousing and Defence-related work.
- Demand
- The Hume region averaged 25 online job ads a month for drivers and storepersons and 39 for automotive and engineering trades, three months to September 2026.2
- Local employers
- The Albury Wodonga Military Area is home to the Army Logistics Training Centre and the Army School of Logistical Operations.6
- Local training
- Wodonga TAFE has a Wodonga campus and the Logic Centre at Barnawartha North.9
- Shortage
- Diesel motor mechanics and motor mechanics are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.8
- What to put in your brief
- The licence classes and tickets, the shift pattern, any security clearance the work needs and the experience level.
Trades and engineering
Qualified electricians, plumbers, carpenters, engineers and drafters for construction, manufacturing and infrastructure.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 13 online job ads for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, 9 for construction trades, 12 for engineering, ICT and science technicians and 8 for engineers, three months to September 2026.2
- Shortage
- Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and civil engineers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.8
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week from 1 July 2026 for Electrical worker grade 5, a licensed electrician, including industry, tool and licence allowances, where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award applies.10 Market median: $2,191 a week for full-time electricians nationally, May 2025.11
- What to put in your brief
- The trade or discipline, the licences, which side of the border the work is on, the pay range and the experience you need.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, finance and payroll officers, HR and office staff for professional practices, councils and service businesses.
- Demand
- The Hume region averaged 14 online job ads a month for business, finance and HR professionals, 11 for numerical clerks and 61 for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, three months to September 2026.2
- Shortage
- Taxation accountants are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; general accountants are not.8
- Local study
- La Trobe University has an Albury-Wodonga campus.12
- What to put in your brief
- Your systems, the reporting line, the hours and the experience level.
How we help you hire in Wodonga and the North East
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, the border and relocation
Wodonga and Albury work as one labour market, so we treat both cities as home ground for a search. Roles based in Wangaratta, Benalla or the alpine towns often draw on people who already live along the Hume corridor or in the valleys.
Tell us where the role is based, any travel and any vehicle, and we cover them with candidates at the start. If your preferred person is moving to the North East, we ask early about where they will live and any relocation help you offer. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Wodonga or the North East?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, La Trobe and TAFE graduates and people moving to the border region can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the towns you can reach, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next North East hire
Tell us the role, the town and when you'd like the person to start.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Does Hire Australia recruit in Albury as well as Wodonga?
Yes. Hire Australia treats Albury and Wodonga as one labour market, and we recruit for employers across North East Victoria, including Wangaratta, Benalla, Beechworth, Rutherglen, Bright, Myrtleford and Tallangatta. We recruit professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, and also cover the rest of regional Victoria and New South Wales.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Wodonga?
Often. In the year to August 2026, 41% of recruiting employers in the Goulburn/Murray employment region, which includes Wodonga, Benalla and Albury, had difficulty filling a role. A lack of suitable applicants and the regional location were the top reasons.3 Hire Australia searches both sides of the border for people with the right skills.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. Hire Australia doesn’t charge to discuss a Wodonga or North East role, and there is no upfront payment.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Wodonga?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Wodonga, Albury and the North East. We start with people who live, study or train around the border and along the Hume corridor, plus people planning a move to the region, once we understand your role.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temps in Wodonga?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Wodonga or the North East, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them from their first day.
Can I register with Hire Australia to work in the North East?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and whether you'd live in Wodonga, Albury or one of the North East towns. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and the practical side of a move.
Sources (12)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: Three-month average to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State Snapshot update, Victoria combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 228 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025) - June quarter 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Albury Wodonga Health, About us. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Defence, Albury Wodonga Military Area: About the base. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Industry profiles, Victoria combined: Employment Region Industry profiles. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Victorian Skills Authority, TAFE and training providers in Wangaratta, Wodonga and surrounds. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide - Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award [MA000025]. Published 7 August 2026. Data: From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation profile, ANZSCO 3411 Electricians. Data: May 2025, ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (customised report), national median for full-time employees. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- La Trobe University, Campuses. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑